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How to practice mindfulness
Aoife
Community Manager Posts: 3,228 Boards Guru
Mindfulness has many benefits for our mental health, particularly if we struggle with anxiety. Check out our guide and send to a friend it could help too 
Have you tried mindfulness before? Share your thoughts on it below
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Have you tried mindfulness before? Share your thoughts on it below
Alt text in the spoiler below:
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How to practice mindfulness for free
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Mindfulness is the practice of taking time to be in the moment and feel grounded, through activities such as meditation, breathing and yoga. The aim is to help us become more aware of what's going on right now, which can be really useful if we experience anxiety.
Mindfulness can help us to pay attention and appreciate moments that we might not otherwise remember.
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Mindfulness has many benefits. Taking the time to take note of our surroundings can be so calming for the mind. Through becoming more aware of each situation we're better able to deal with it.
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The benefits of mindfulness can include: Better focus and concentration, Appreciating the here and now, Improved memory, Reduced stress and anxiety levels, Learning to deal with depression and better understand emotions.
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Abida, 17, has been practicing mindfulness for over a year and she's seen many benefits. "I used to get overwhelmed by difficult emotions and then turn to negative behaviours," she says. "But both my negative thoughts and self-harm decreased once I started doing mindfulness."
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How do I learn mindfulness? If we're on a budget or are considering exploring mindfulness, we don't need to pay to be able to do it. In fact, many people choose to learn through methods which are free or cheap to do, such as: Books & online
Try freemindfulness.org, which has free resources to use, or bemindful.com, which has recommended reading lists with useful reviews of books that can help with mindfulness.
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Gratitude diary
Keeping a gratitude diary involves simply noticing things throughout our day that made us happy, whether they're big or small things. It helps to build a positive mindset.
Walking
Wanting to go out and do any activity when we're feeling low can be incredibly difficult, but even going for short walks outside is proven to boost our mood.
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The key to building a helpful mindful practice is to keep it regular. If we can build these activities into our day-to-day, and try to keep at it, then it can really help us in the long-term. For example, we might decide to meditate just before we have breakfast or lunch, or we might choose to write in a gratitude diary just before we go to bed.
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What if mindfulness doesn't work for me?
If it doesn't work for us, it's ok - it's not for everyone. We don't need to worry that there's something wrong with us! It's worth talking to our GP about other options. If we're looking for help with a specific mental health challenge, there are lots of other talking treatments and medications we can discuss. We can also talk to the team at themix.org.uk for free and confidential support.
How to practice mindfulness for free
Image 2:
Mindfulness is the practice of taking time to be in the moment and feel grounded, through activities such as meditation, breathing and yoga. The aim is to help us become more aware of what's going on right now, which can be really useful if we experience anxiety.
Mindfulness can help us to pay attention and appreciate moments that we might not otherwise remember.
Image 3:
Mindfulness has many benefits. Taking the time to take note of our surroundings can be so calming for the mind. Through becoming more aware of each situation we're better able to deal with it.
Image 4:
The benefits of mindfulness can include: Better focus and concentration, Appreciating the here and now, Improved memory, Reduced stress and anxiety levels, Learning to deal with depression and better understand emotions.
Image 5:
Abida, 17, has been practicing mindfulness for over a year and she's seen many benefits. "I used to get overwhelmed by difficult emotions and then turn to negative behaviours," she says. "But both my negative thoughts and self-harm decreased once I started doing mindfulness."
Image 6:
How do I learn mindfulness? If we're on a budget or are considering exploring mindfulness, we don't need to pay to be able to do it. In fact, many people choose to learn through methods which are free or cheap to do, such as: Books & online
Try freemindfulness.org, which has free resources to use, or bemindful.com, which has recommended reading lists with useful reviews of books that can help with mindfulness.
Image 7:
Gratitude diary
Keeping a gratitude diary involves simply noticing things throughout our day that made us happy, whether they're big or small things. It helps to build a positive mindset.
Walking
Wanting to go out and do any activity when we're feeling low can be incredibly difficult, but even going for short walks outside is proven to boost our mood.
Image 8:
The key to building a helpful mindful practice is to keep it regular. If we can build these activities into our day-to-day, and try to keep at it, then it can really help us in the long-term. For example, we might decide to meditate just before we have breakfast or lunch, or we might choose to write in a gratitude diary just before we go to bed.
Image 9:
What if mindfulness doesn't work for me?
If it doesn't work for us, it's ok - it's not for everyone. We don't need to worry that there's something wrong with us! It's worth talking to our GP about other options. If we're looking for help with a specific mental health challenge, there are lots of other talking treatments and medications we can discuss. We can also talk to the team at themix.org.uk for free and confidential support.
Maybe somethings don't get better, but we do. We get stronger. We learn to live with our situations as messy and ugly as they are. We fix what we can and we adapt to what we can't. Maybe some of us will never fully be okay, but at least we're here. We're still trying. We're doing the best we can. That's worth celebrating too ❤
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